Half-Assed Runner

Runs: 14
Miles: 88.61
Races: 6 (48.63 miles)
Outdoors: 13 (85.20 miles)
Indoors: 0 (0.00 miles)
Treadmill: 1 (3.41 miles)
Longest: 14.27 miles

May was the month of racing.  Six races is, by far, the most I’ve raced in a single month.  I continued the stretch of 4 half marathons in 4 weeks that I started in late April with 3 consecutive weekends of half marathons (Lake Minnetonka, Maple Grove, Fargo).  Interspersed in those three weeks were three 5K races (two run for fun with my son).  I ended up with a half marathon PR in Fargo that I’m pretty sure will stand up for the rest of the year.

After the Fargo Half, I was happy to finally have a couple of weeks ahead of me with no races.  I had planned to do two long runs of 17 and 20 miles during that time and maybe some speedwork.  I did none of those things.  The first week off I managed some decent mileage, but nothing long.  Even those runs were put off until the last possible moment.  The next week was a big bowl of fail sauce.  I was swamped at work and home.  I still had plenty of opportunities to run, but got lazy and passed on all of them.  I didn’t run or go to the gym for 6 days.  I finally had to break my running drought due to the Minneapolis Half, and that ended with a personal worst half marathon time.  Lesson learned: get your training runs in – no excuses.

Uber-Taper = Not a good idea

June will bring four races.  I have another run of three consecutive weekends of half marathons (Minneapolis, Lake Waconia, and Grandmas).  After that stretch, I will have completed seven of my planned twelve half marathons for the year.  I will not run another half marathon until August.

My goals for June are to get more quality training runs in.  I need to get back on track for my regular long, slow distance runs if I’m going to get into marathon shape.  I have decided that my minimum running distance will now be 5 miles and I’m going to work in a mid-range distance of 8 – 10 miles once a week as well.  Of course, I will make the promise to do dedicated hill and speed work…but I don’t seem to ever follow through on those promises.